Ten Thousand Worlds

“Ito na ko, Autum. Hindi mo na pwedeng baguhin. I’m messed up, chaotic and twisted. I’ve been like this for so long, it’s not like kaya kong biglang baguhin ang lahat para lang sayo.” malungkot na saad niya habang diretsong nakatingin sakin ang mga mata niyang napupuno na unti-unti ng luha. “Phoe-” “No, Autumn. I really understand. Ganyan ka, ganito ako. We are two different beings, maybe you won’t ever understand me, so do I. So whatever your decision will be, I’ll gladly accept it. I will respect it, we will respect it. Ganoon ka kahalaga. Ganoon kita kamahal. It’s your call. Whether you would be willing to get tangled up into this mess and damaged world of mine or would rather stay outside.” dagdag niya pa at saka ko iniwan sa gitna ng malawak na park na ‘to. He’s a prince living in the modern world. He got money, lots of it. Fame, status, perfect image and his perfectly carved features. Lahat na ata nasa kanya pero may isang sikreto lang siyang maingat na itinatago na di sinasadyang nalaman ko. Apparently, he’s messed up and twisted. Literally. Could I accept those dark and twisted sides of him? Would I ever be comfortable loving someone like him na minsan hindi ko alam kung sino ba talaga? He’s Phoenix Alcantara. A 28-year-old CEO of two large corporations. And I am Autumn Taylor. And this is the story of our twisted and messed up love story.

Hindi ko kailanman inakala na ang isang desperadong desisyon ay tuluyang magbabago sa buhay ko. Nang lumobo ang bayarin sa ospital ng aking lola, wala akong ibang pagpipilian kundi tanggapin ang isang hindi pangkaraniwang alok—ang magpakasal kay Conrad, ang bulag ngunit malupit na tagapagmana ng makapangyarihang pamilya Laurier. Sinasabi nilang ipinanganak siyang nagdadala ng kamalasan dahil namamatay ang mga mahal niya sa buhay. Ngunit kailangan nila ng asawa para sa kanya, at kailangan ko ng pera. Dapat sana, isang simpleng kasunduan lang ito. Ngunit mula nang pumasok ako sa kanyang mundo, napagtanto kong may higit pa kay Conrad kaysa sa mga bulung-bulungan. Ang kanyang pagkabulag ay hindi kahinaan—bagkus, ginawa siyang mas matalas, mas mapanganib. Bawat salitang binibigkas niya ay may bigat, at bawat dampi ng kanyang kamay ay nagpapadala ng kilabot sa aking balat. Hindi niya ako pinagkakatiwalaan. Iniisip niyang isa lang ako sa mga babaeng nais samantalahin siya. Pero paano kung unti-unti kong makita ang totoong lalaking nasa likod ng malamig niyang maskara? At mas masama pa—paano kung mahulog ako sa kanya?

“Marry me? Aren’t you scared of death?”Rumor has it Eliljah Moses is a jinx to everyone close to him, that his ill fate was the reason both his sisters and three fiancees had all died.Sally Summers married him with no expectations, and was ready to embrace death should it come for her.Initially she thought she would have to care for him, but little did she expect to be pampered to the nines by him.In his words, “She’s my woman, only I can bully her.”He also said, “Whoever dares to touch my woman, I’ll be sure to make their lives a living hell.”He even said, “My woman will bear me a pile of children!”

When I'm eight months pregnant, my husband, Levi West, becomes a donor to help his ex-girlfriend get pregnant. He even brings her and their illegitimate child home, wanting me to serve them. I refuse, and he calls me inhumane. "Audie's lost her husband—what's so bad about her wanting to have a child? You're a woman, too! How can you be so cruel?" I leave the house in anger, but Levi doesn't care. "Where can a country girl like you go when you're so heavily pregnant? You're going to come back and beg me to take you in again!" I head to the hospital to get an abortion. Then, I return to the countryside and rear pigs with my grandmother. Later, when Levi sees my flat belly and asks to see our child, I throw a handful of ashes in his face. "There you go. It's all there."

I was locked in a fridge for 40 days while the uncensored photos of me spread like wildfire across the internet. In the face of the salacious rumors about me, my mother reacted by reposting them. Then, she turned to warn my sister, "Look at how disgusting the entertainment industry is. Don't join it, alright? Stay home and inherit your sister's assets instead. My dearest daughter must be innocent and pure, unlike her." She forgot. She forgot I only joined this 'disgusting' industry to pay for her cancer treatment.

I was three months pregnant when my fiancé left me to marry his first love, Isabella Thompson. Soon after, I was in a car accident. I survived, but our baby didn't. My childhood friend, Daniel Smith, found out and insisted on marrying me despite his family's objections. He spent a fortune on the best doctors to ensure I recovered fully. Later, he arranged a grand proposal, confessing he had loved me for years. I was touched and agreed to marry him. But three years later, I overheard his conversation with his friend, Mike Perez. "Remember years ago when Isabella stole Jessica's fiancé? To avoid any future trouble for Isabella, you married Jessica and even caused that car accident, which killed the baby she was carrying. Now, can she even get pregnant anymore?" Mike asked. "No, I love Isabella," Daniel replied. "I just didn't want to have any babies with Jessica, so I put birth control in her water." I trembled, unable to believe what I had heard. It turned out Isabella was also Daniel's first love. I figured it was time for me to leave.

I'm having a mental breakdown as I face a clogged drain with my feverish and fussing daughter in my arms. Meanwhile, my husband has reserved a hotel to celebrate another woman's birthday. My mother-in-law spits on the floor. "This is what you deserve. You can't even capture a man's heart!" I clench a fist around the winning lottery ticket in my pocket. I want to get a divorce.

I was twelve when Henry Shaw took me home from the orphanage, gave me a new name, put me through school, and gave me a good life. Ten years later, his first love returned from abroad. Her name sounded like mine, and her face looked like a mirror image. I quickly realized I had been a stand-in all along. Crushing the diagnosis in my pocket, I decided that I was going to live the rest of my life for myself, even if I did not have much time left.

In front of the orphanage gates, Rebecca Schwartz, the impoverished student I had been sponsoring, stood glaring at me with a face full of disdain. "If you don't let Freddie come along, I'm not going to your house either," she declared, her tone sharp and unyielding. In the past, blinded by love and hopelessly infatuated, I would have caved to her demands, humbling myself just to keep the peace. But things were different now—I had been reborn. Staring at this despicable pair, who had once caused my tragic demise, a tidal wave of fury surged within me. Yet, it settled into nothing more than a faint, icy smile on my lips. "Then stay here," I said, my voice cold and steady. "Rot in this place alongside your precious Freddie. After all, trash like you belong in the garbage heap."

Nicko hanyalah seorang menantu yang tak diharapkan oleh keluarga Windsor. Pernikahannya dengan Josephine, awalnya hanya untuk membalas budi pada Tuan Gilbert Windsor yang banyak membantunya sejak kecil. Meski Josephine memperlakukan Nicko cukup baik dan layak senagai suami, tapi tidak dengan keluarga besarnya. Bagi keluarga besar Windsor, Nicko hanyalah sampah pengganggu. "Jadi, kamu ke sini tidak bawa apa-apa?Memalukan sekali hidupmu," ejek Armando kakak iparnya."Armando, apa kau lupa kalau selama ini ia menumpang hidup pada Josephine dan mertuanya? Dia kan pengangguran," tambah Damian, sepupu Josephine. Begitulah kehidupan Nicko yang selalu menjadi bahan tertawaan dimanapun ia berada. Tentu saja hal ini membuat Josephine semakin bernilai rendah di mata keluarganya yang masih kolot. Hingga suatu hari, Nicko mendapatkan hadiah tak terduga. Ia dipertemukan oleh ayah kandungnya, Phillip Lloyd yang menduduki strata teratas dalam piramida status sosial.Keadaan pun berbalik, Nicko tak lagi menganggap uang adalah masalah. Namun ia memilih untuk menyembunyikan identitas diri yang sebenarnya. Apakah alasan yang sebenarnya? Ikuti terus perjalanan Nicholas Lloyd.